A New Year
by gryps-celsus
Summary: A New Year, complete with new relationships. Let's see what the Year of the Monkey has in store for the Sohmas. YAOI AyamexRitsu(mainly) YukixKyo(subplot) some HatorixShigure and HaruxMomiji (for the hell of it!)
1. New Year's Eve 10:30pm

Author's Note: Ok, so this little plot ferret (I say ferret because its damn clever and persistent, and well, wiggly) has been wreaking havoc in my brain for awhile now and if I don't get it out soon I might just become incapable of coherent thought.

_Disclaimer_: Nope, don't own a damn bit of it. Except the strange plot ferret.

Warning: Strange and rare pairings ahead! And some good ol' familiar ones too. ;P This includes yaoi (male/male and a lot of it), yuri (female/female, some of it, mentioned more in passing than in action), and het (just for the hell of it) couples. I view this as catering to a wide variety of tastes, but if this freaks you out, please GO NO FURTHER. I am not responsible for your actions after this point nor the actions of my plot ferret.

Warning, part 2: I have not read the manga (yet) so please bear with me concerning the lack of manga-only characters such as Rin and Kureno and the personalities of characters that only appear for an ep. or two of the anime. I will use some artistic license here... so I'm sorry if some characters seem OOC, I'm just trying to make a good story!!

Oh, and [number] denotes author's notes which will be at the end of the chapter.

Ok, enough of my yackin'... As the fans say, "Let's roooooll out!" ::cough:: sorry, small "This is Otakudom: A Fan Parody" moment. That line was not mine and I apologize.

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**New Year's Eve - 10:30 pm - Sohma Main House**

The Great Hall of the Sohma Compound was decorated as it always was on New Year's, red and festive and bright, and just waiting for the members of the Juunishi to take their places.

The single long black table ran the length of the room, with ten places set with the finest accoutrements and silk pillows. In front of the table was a small raised platform, the "stage" where the appropriate family member would ring in the coming of their year with a traditional dance. Banners heralding the coming year flanked the platform and small paper lanterns hung around the room, candles flickering softly.

Sohma Yuki, cursed with the spirit of the rat, sighed as he walked into the familiar setting. For the past four years both Yuki and Kyo had spent New Year's at Shigure's house, loathing to leave Tohru alone. However, now that she had gone off to university, the same women's college as Kagura in fact, there was no excuse to stay home.

That, and there was the little issue of Akito. The Head of the Sohma Clan would be unable to attend the party this year, or so Hatori had demanded of the sickly man[1]. Akito's health had not been fairing well in the past months, and as the land cooled for winter he only seemed to get worse. Therefore, Hatori and other knowledgeable members of the clan had advised Akito to keep away from such stress and circumstance, hoping that keeping him abed might slowly help his immune system reboot itself.

The idea of not having Akito there was music to Yuki's ears and he rejoiced in it, as he was sure other Juunishi members did. For once it looked like the members of the Sohma curse could meet together and perhaps be themselves - no hiding, no pretending, no facades. There was no way Yuki was going to miss such an opportunity. At the very least it should provide some laughs.

Many things had changed among the Sohmas since that first year with Tohru, and now, after having spent a year separated from her because of college, things had changed even more. Specifically, and most important at this moment, Yuki's feelings for Kyo.

The two boys had ended up going to the same university, not far from Shigure's home, while Tohru had ventured farther away and joined Kagura in her apartment. Tohru had had an enormous impact on both of them, and life post-Tohru was markedly more civil.

One evening, about 7 months ago, unable to comprehend his quantum physics homework, Yuki, in an act of desperation, asked Kyo for some help. After the initial shock an unsteady friendship had bloomed. And it was only two days ago that Yuki had caught Kyo practicing kata in the moonlight and snow, in only his pants even though it was freezing outside.

Yuki had been unable to sleep that night and had wandered downstairs in an effort to get a midnight snack. A cold rush of wind caught him as he came down the stairs and he walked over to the open back door, angry that someone, no doubt Kyo, had left it open, again, and was wasting precious heat. Yuki stopped short at what he saw and could do nothing but stare. It was Kyo, alone, determined and focused, practicing his kicks in the snow, as he had seen him before, but for some reason Yuki felt like a brick had just dropped into his stomach.

He could not take his eyes away from Kyo's movements, from following the taught muscles in Kyo's back as they shifted with his practiced kata. Moonlight reflected off of the orange-haired boy's tanned skin, making the sweat of exertion obvious. Yuki's eyes traveled lower, watching the twist of Kyo's hips as he moved and kicked foes and targets only he could see.

Hunger.

It was the first thing that had registered in Yuki's mind, and not in that "dammit what happened to the midnight snack?!" sense. Want, desire, and plain pure lust began coiling itself in his stomach, in his skin, in his fingers and in his lips, running a train wreck course through his bloodstream.

Of course, it was in that moment of clouded emotions that Kyo had noticed Yuki's presence and the intense stare the rat was giving the cat.

And Kyo had been avoiding him since. And Yuki couldn't take it anymore. He wasn't sure if Kyo was going to show up to the New Year's Eve party, but he was determined to talk to him if he did.

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[1]:If you know the spoiler from Chapter 97, disregard the discrepancies this story makes with it, as I wrote it before I saw that chapter. If you don't know the spoiler, don't pay attention to what I'm saying. If you want to know the spoiler, check out The Fruits Basket Community on Live Journal.

And that's all I'm saying on the matter.


	2. New Year's Eve 11:00pm

Disclaimer and Warnings: See chapter 1.

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**New Year's Eve - 11:00 pm - Sohma Main House**

Ten places were set in the Sohma Hall, for the ten Juunishi expected to attend, and almost all seats were filled upon the eleven chimes of the clock in the outside hall.

Hatori sat on one far end of the long table, followed by Shigure, Ayame, Yuki, Kyo, Hatsuharu, Momiji, Kisa, and Hiro. An empty cushion sat between Ayame and Yuki, the place for the one who would be performing this evening.

For one of the few times in his life, Sohma Ayame, the snake, sat quietly and sipped his tea, listening to Shigure babble on about the new idea he had for a novel. Holding the teacup with both hands, lips still on the rim, Ayame surveyed the room with his gold eyes, taking in the new, strange atmosphere.

Everyone was just so... different. And he had no doubt it was because of the lack of Akito-san.

Down at the far end of the table Kisa and Hiro talked softly to one another, both faces bright, alive, and happy. The two youngest had grown much in these past few years, becoming closer than they were as children. Closer to Ayame, Yuki and Momiji looked on as Kyo and Haru argued over something that was impossible to distinguish at this point. Of the young men, it was Momiji who had changed most dramatically, the others had retained the same angled, attractive features they had in their teens, only now accentuated by some level of maturity. Momiji, on the other hand, had matured into a fine specimen of masculine beauty - he had finally adopted a clothing style more to his age group and had even grown his hair down to his shoulder blades, which he sat braiding into a single tail as Haru and Kyo bickered next to him. Yuki simply watched on with an amused smile.

It was perhaps Yuki's smile that really indicated how the Sohmas changed when no longer in the presence of Akito, and Ayame was saddened and heartened by such a fact. Perhaps tonight he could talk to his brother and they could learn more about one another. Then again, the intensity with which Yuki was watching Kyo indicated that he had plans for little other than Kyo to be the object of his attention this evening.

Ayame smiled at this, finally setting his cup of tea down. He had always noticed the tension between the two of them and now perhaps they were going to face it. It looked like Yuki already had.

"Aya-kun?" Shigure's bright voice shook Ayame from his musings. "You're so quiet!! Are you feeling okay?" Shigure put on a dramatic worried face and put the back of his hand to Ayame's forehead.

The snake swatted the hand away and smiled coyly. "Ah, Gure-kun, you know that I will always feel ill when I am even but inches from you..." Ayame made a wide gesture with his arms and grinned, looking from Shigure to Hatori. "...to not be in your embrace." He swooned again. Shigure giggled, Hatori only rolled his eyes.

"Ah, this I understand, Aya-kun..." Shigure continued the dramatics, leaning over onto Hatori's shoulder and clutching at his heart, pining in overdramatic sadness. "Even now, we are so close to one another and yet we cannot be together!" Both Ayame and Shigure sighed pointedly, Ayame batting his lashes at the dog while Shigure wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

"Oh will you two give it up?" Hatori scolded, even though a smile had found its way to his lips. He shoved Shigure over with a jerk of his shoulder.

Ayame laughed. "Is that jealousy that I hear?" Not waiting for an answer he reached across Shigure and took one of Hatori's hands in his and brought the hand to his lips. "Oh, Ha-kun, no one else could fill the space you have claimed within my heart..." Shigure sniggered between them.

Wrenching his hand away, Hatori narrowed his eyes at his silver-haired cousin, trying to cover his amusement at such antics and failing rather miserably. Ayame and Shigure both laughed happily, sitting back in their seats and reveling in the old feeling of camaraderie.

Their laughter was just dying down when the door to the room slid slowly open, and the Sohma who came to welcome in the Year of the Monkey entered the room meekly, followed shortly by a small woman with a shamisan.

Everyone went silent as Ritsu, easily the most shy of all the Sohma clan, took soft steps onto the small platform in the middle of the room, looking at the floor the whole time. The shamisan player sat to the left of the platform, half in the shadows. There was a pause, and everyone watched intently, waiting for Ritsu to move.

He wore the long kimono and adornments common to all who did the dance at New Year's, his dirty blonde hair tied back in an elegant, high ponytail. When he raised his head his eyes were closed and he swallowed noticeably, and it wasn't a great leap to assume he was pretty nervous.

Ayame couldn't help but smirk at the small motion, watching Ritsu's adam's apple bob softly under the pale skin. Ritsu was probably one of the more secretive of the Juunishi, keeping to himself and his home at the onsen with his mother and father.

There were many stories about Ritsu which traveled among the Sohmas, but it couldn't really be known which were true. Many said that he acted a lot like his mother and father, apologizing over everything and constantly taking blame. They also said that he wasn't a child to be proud of, that he had no special talents or skills, that he wasn't athletic or a genius, that he wasn't even overly average. And the strange boy wore women's clothing, supposedly a constant embarrassment to his parents and the rest of the Sohmas.

The first pluck of the shamisan took Ayame out of his internal ramblings and turned his attention to the front of the room where Ritsu had started to dance.

Eyes still closed, the blonde-haired man moved precisely and gracefully, slowly and with purpose, to the wafting melody of the music. This, Ayame mused to himself, must have been what the best geisha looked like dancing to entertain the highest ranked officials back in the heyday of Kyoto.

The dance was nothing spectacular visually, rather simple, even average, one might say, and Ayame found himself getting slightly restless. To counter this Ayame amused his ever-wandering mind with trying to make up a story to the dance and music.

First it was a young girl, playing in a field with flowers. No, not pretty or young enough. Then, it was young boys at a festival in summer. No, that still didn't seem right, too much spunk. Memories of a lost friend? No, the dance wasn't nostalgic at all. Maybe it was the story of a peasant rising to be emperor. No, the music was far too depressing. What about a journey across Japan? No, too slow and airy to be traveling. What about...

And then it hit Ayame with a ton of bricks... unrequited love. At first he thought the idea too dramatic and romantic, but as he watched Ritsu dance, the expression on the younger man's face as he _felt_ the music... it could be nothing other than about love. Suddenly curious, Ayame watched Ritsu with a more discerning eye, catching subtle movements and changes in expression and indication of emotion that he might not have seen otherwise. Ritsu was passionate about the dance, even as it seemed so ordinary, and there was meaning in the movements because he meant them to be significant. All in all, it was actually a quite skilled manipulation of dance to convey specific emotions without words or dramatic movements or frenzied motion.

There was soon no doubt in Ayame's mind that Ritsu knew such emotions from experience. He danced the story all too well to not personally know how it is to go through the normal paces of one's day and be unable to show emotion for something or someone. Ayame's eyes slid from the front of the room to Hatori and then back. He sighed.

Yes, Ritsu must have known the sting of unrequited love, just as Ayame did. But no one deserved such pain. Perhaps Ayame could talk to Ritsu later in the evening, tell him that he sympathized - maybe there was something he could do to help the younger Sohma.

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	3. New Year's Day 12:05am

Disclaimers and Warnings: See ch. 1.

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**New Year's Day - 12:05am - Sohma Main House, The Gardens**

After the clock had struck midnight the members of the Juunishi had clinked glasses in a cheer, but it was the rising of the sun that they were really waiting for - a symbol of the true start of a brand new year.

Tired of being social and around so many people, Sohma Kyo, the outcast cat, sat down under the skeleton of a cherry tree in the Sohma gardens. With a sigh he folded his arms behind his head and leaned back against the trunk of the tree, looking at the stars through the bare branches.

It had been really strange to interact with a majority of the Juunishi without Akito-san looming over. None of them seemed to be scared or wary of him, if anything they seemed to talk to him more. Even Yuki, who got along with everyone even when Akito was present, seemed more relaxed. With good reason too, for Akito really was a bastard to Yuki, but at least Akito didn't want to kill Yuki like he did Kyo.

It was almost like... like they all really were family. And not just in the genetic sense.

Kyo frowned, chiding himself for even thinking for a moment about becoming attached to the group, knowing that they might turn on him at any moment, just as everyone else had. Well, everyone but his Master.

Bringing his arms down and pulling his knees to his chest, Kyo sighed and focused on the ground in front of him. A small, rather pathetic mew caught his attention and he turned his face to the side. I scraggly ball of fluff of a kitten looked back at him from under a shrub, fur matted in some places and dark blue eyes wide.

Used to such seemingly random encounters, he reached out with a smile and lifted the kitten into his lap, scratching the top of its head. Leaning back against the tree once more, Kyo folded his legs under him and looked down at the kitten. The gray fluff looked up at him with what could be construed as a smile. "Yeah, you know all about this, don't you..." Kyo sighed, wondering where the poor thing's family was. The cat meowed and began to purr, head cocked to the side, attention set on Kyo. "We're in the same boat, eh? Although you look more like Yuki than me..."

At the thought of Yuki, Kyo sighed again.

He had been unable to sleep that night two days ago and he had decided to go outside and practice kata, hoping that physical activity would wear him out. The truth of the matter was that the activity of his mind was what was keeping him awake.

An unsteady friendship had bloomed between himself and Yuki after Tohru had left for university and Kyo could not deny that there was tension in every word spoken between them. However, Kyo had never identified it as sexual tension, at least not until that evening two days ago.

He had fallen asleep quickly and early that night, but had awoken because of an unusually vivid dream. It was about Yuki. Even just remembering the dream made Kyo shiver, the way Yuki's tongue had...

Kyo had bolted awake troubled, sweating, and painfully aroused. And had then decided to clear his mind (and hopefully get his blood flowing _elsewhere_) by going out into the cold night and practicing his kicks. Pulling on only his cargo pants, Kyo leapt out his own window and down into the snow, relishing in the shock of the freezing temperature.

It was only minutes later that Yuki had found him, and although Kyo was not sure how long the other boy had been watching him, there was no denying the raw emotion in those violet eyes. Emotion that mirrored the Yuki Kyo had known only in his dreams. Unable to deal with a dream Yuki at the moment, let alone a real one, Kyo had run into the night, and had kept running for the days since.

"They always come to you, ne?" Yuki's soft voice abruptly broke Kyo's musings.

With a sharp gasp, Kyo looked up, gripping the kitten tightly for a moment and getting a small nip for his efforts. "Yuki." Kyo's voice was hoarse and sharp.

Yuki's lips curved into a slight smile and he sat down next to Kyo, leaning up against the tree trunk and sighing. Silence fell between them, the only noise was the kitten's purring as Kyo resumed his scratching.

"Yuki." Kyo spoke abruptly after an indeterminate length of time. "Look, Yuki... I'm..." a pause, as if he needed to gather his words. "I'm sorry... about the other night..." Kyo just trailed off, looking up to the sky with a slight blush.

"Yeah..." Yuki looked at the ground, fingering some near-frozen grass blades. "Me too... I didn't mean to startle you like that... it was just..." Yuki also trailed off, turning his head further away from Kyo's view as he felt blood begin to color his cheeks.

"It was just..." Kyo echoed softly, but not in a mocking tone. He let his head loll to the side as he continued to absently pet the kitten, letting the comment hang in the air.

Yuki thought Kyo was looking for further explanation and blushed a bit harder at his pushing. "Well, I uh..." He swallowed hard, realizing that this was it, that this was diving head first into the conversation he had been mulling over for two days now. His voice got a lot softer, but not inaudible. "I just... I had never seen you like that before... practicing... at night..."

Kyo raised an eyebrow, more to himself than anyone else. That was unexpected. "You've fought me enough before. It wasn't any different."

Yuki sighed and gathered his hands in his lap and stared at them pointedly. "Yes it was." He raised a hand to push some silver hair behind an ear. "I've never seen you like that without the kick coming at my face next. I dunno... maybe I'm going crazy. I couldn't sleep that night and I was heading for the kitchen and the back door was open a crack. I still don't know who left it like that, either..." Yuki continued babbling.

Turning his face to the pale boy, Kyo smiled. "Yuki." The rat stopped abruptly and looked to Kyo. "You're babbling." Yuki swallowed hard, blushed brightly, and shut up. There was another pause as the boys watched one another.

"I couldn't sleep that night either..." Kyo began. "...well, I had slept a bit, but then had this strange dream... I just... I needed to do something to clear my mind." Another pause. "Look, Yuki... I..."

The silver-haired rat looked away and up at the sky as he interrupted Kyo. "I know why you ran, you don't need to explain. I know why because there was no way I wasn't projecting my emotions like in some bad movie... I was just so... startled..." He turned his face to Kyo and smiled. "... by you." Closing his eyes, Yuki remembered what he had seen. "With the moonlight, and the snow... and your concentration..." The lines of Yuki's face softened and Kyo was held in rapt attention, staring at the other boy with saucer-wide eyes Yuki couldn't see. "You were beautiful. And I felt the warmth of attraction curl within me and I had no idea what to do... it was just this intense hunger to feel you, to touch you, to-mh!"

Yuki was abruptly silenced by soft lips against his, a warm hand cupped under his jaw, lifting his face ever-so-slightly to make the kiss better. With a small moan of recognition and relief, Yuki opened his mouth to Kyo and dove his hands into the cat's orange hair.

They parted panting, faces still close, noses just touching. "Let's get out of here... Shigure's house..." Yuki's voice was deep and tempting.

"But what about..." Kyo glanced to the house for a moment.

"Haru and Momiji have already bolted..." Yuki smiled. "Made for Haru's place as soon as they could. I don't think we'll be missed either..." He rubbed the side of his nose against Kyo's, lips slightly parted in further invitation.

"Sounds good to me..." Kyo smiled and stood, taking Yuki's hand and looking around for the quickest exit.

"Don't forget the kitten..." Yuki pointed to the little thing on the ground, other hand still in Kyo's.

With a look of disbelief to Yuki and then a smile to the kitten, Kyo slipped the gray fuzzball into a side pocket of his cargo pants. The kitten mewed happily at being included in the getaway.

"You shouldn't let this get out..." Kyo said as he started climbing the tree so they could jump the garden wall and get out of the Sohma House. "... you being nice to cats and all..."

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that..." Yuki smiled as he pulled himself up onto the branch next to Kyo. "...I plan on being really nice to another one soon enough..." He slipped Kyo a sly smile which caused the cat to blush brightly. "Besides..." Yuki's voice got lower, his lips and breath tickling Kyo's ear. "... I have ways to buy your silence..."

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	4. New Year's Day 12:30am

Disclaimers and Warnings: See ch. 1.

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**New Year's Day - 12:30am - Sohma Main House, The Great Hall**

With a sigh of contentment, Sohma Ritsu, cursed with the spirit of the monkey, lifted the cup of tea from where it was sitting at his knees.

He sat with legs curled under him on a small pillow on the porch just outside the hall, looking into the gardens. Quietly, and with a warm smile, Ritsu had watched what had just occurred between Kyo and Yuki, and he was happy for them. And amused, but not surprised, that they were getting away from the main house as quickly as they could climb.

Ritsu had known it would happen soon enough, Yuki and Kyo. The way one stared at the other when they thought no one else was paying attention. The way they fought, almost a dance of getting closer to one another. The expression one made at the mere mention of the other. If they had not known it themselves earlier, at least both their subconscious thoughts had no doubt.

As they perched on the top of a wall, Yuki leaned over and gave Kyo a peck on the cheek. Ritsu covered his mouth demurely with one hand as he was unable to hide his laughter at the red shade of the cat's face.

"So it finally happened, eh?" A silken voice came from somewhere above Ritsu.

Startled by the sudden presence, Ritsu looked up and immediately stopped laughing, although his hand remained covering part of his face. Ayame stood looking down at him, one hand on his hip and one in his pocket, his gold eyes smiling along with his lips and his silver hair flowing down to his waist.

Ritsu blushed brightly, eyes widening. Ayame was talking to him. Ritsu wanted more than anything to answer elequently, but no words came, and he could only stare at the beauty of the older Sohma as the moonlight fell upon him.

As if the silence hadn't been minutes long, Ayame continued speaking. "Yuki and Kyo. They were going to get together sometime..."

Jolted back into reality by the sound of more words, Ritsu removed his hand from his face and grabbed his teacup with shaking hands, but didn't drink. "I'm in your way, aren't I Ayame-kun. I'm sorry, I'll get up and let you enjoy the gardens! I'm sorry! I'm always in the way!"

"Oh hush! Do not apologize for such! You are not in my way at all. Two people can enjoy the view at the same time, right?" Ayame smiled at Ritsu.

Ritsu nodded and looked down at his hands, blushing. As if realizing he'd been holding his tea without drinking, Ritsu hastily brought the cup to his lips, almost spilling, and took a sip.

And he kept sipping at his tea, longer than anyone would have considered normal, thoughts racing through his brain. Ayame was next to him, near him, and the combination of excitement and pain nearly wrought Ritsu into tiny bits. Ayame represented everything Ritsu wanted to be, everything he wanted to have, and the silver-haired snake was the only person Ritsu wanted to possess. Ritsu had spent most of his life watching Ayame from afar, knowing him from infrequent meetings, short, polite conversations, and stories passed through other members of the Sohma clan.

With a short sigh and a stretch, Ayame kneeled beside Ritsu and looked out into the night. "I am glad they've found some happiness, even if it might be for a short while. They have been through so much and it is something they deserve, an opportunity to love. Something everyone deserves." Ayame put extra weight into the last phrase, hoping to lure a response from the shy Ritsu.

Ritsu nodded, setting his now empty teacup beside him as if just realizing he had been holding it to his lips for minutes. "Yes." His voice was soft and his cheeks still flushed. "It is the greatest emotion of all."

Ayame smiled softly and nodded. "So true. And yet, also the hardest. And even so, it can cause the most happiness." Ayame paused. "And the most pain." Ayame watched as Ritsu's face lost a bit of its light at that last statement. The younger man only nodded in response, looking down to his lap.

They sat in an only relatively comfortable silence for many minutes more before Ayame could think of more words to speak.

"Your dance was beautiful this evening." The snake turned his head to face Ritsu. "I really liked it."

This being the last thing Ritsu was expecting, and his face abruptly turned to Ayame's as he flushed a dark crimson. "Th-thank you."

Ayame nodded. "You are quite talented actually." He paused, noting how Ritsu blushed impossibly deeper red. "I didn't see it at first, but you really have a way of conveying passionate emotion in your movements. I was very moved."

Ritsu's eyes widened. "I'm sorry if it was too emotional... I just got caught up in it all. I didn't mean to make anyone uncomfortable. I only wanted people to enjoy-" In the fashion of his parents, Ritsu began to babble apologies, again.

Ayame stopped him by placing a light finger to the other man's lips. "Shh." Ritsu quieted, startled, but now beet red and his eyes were wider than plates. "It was a compliment, nothing bad. You must not apologize so much." Ayame's finger was still on Ritsu's lips and he did not remove it until the monkey had nodded his agreement. "However," Ayame sighed, folding his hands in his lap but still looking at Ritsu. "I know for a fact that you could not have conveyed such emotion without understanding it deeply. And I just wanted you to know that, well, I understand how much unrequited love can hurt." Ayame's voice was soft at the end.

A wide range of emotions quickly flashed through Ritsu's expressive eyes before he controlled them and spoke. "I'm... I'm sorry you have to know such pain as well." And Ritsu was sorry, for he wished so much for Ayame to never be in pain.

"Ah," Ayame wagged his finger in front of Ritsu's nose. "I said no apologizing." The snake continued with a smile. "And thank you for your concern, but it is through things like this that we grow. Besides, hearts do mend over time."

Ritsu's expression softened and he nodded, a soft, knowing smile gracing his fine lips as he looked back at his lap. "True, but that doesn't mean it does not hurt less in the present."

Ayame placed a comforting hand on Ritsu's shoulder and the other man shot him a surprised look. The snake only smiled and gave Ritsu's shoulder a light squeeze before releasing it.

"Hm..." Ayame hummed, returning his hand to Ritsu's shoulder and feeling the fabric of the man's kimono. "Where did you get this fabric? It is fabulous... Do you always wear kimono like this? Women's kimono that is..."

Ritsu blushed again. "I'm sorry if it makes you uncomfortable bu-"

Ayame tapped Ritsu's nose with his finger. "No apologizing." He waited until Ritsu nodded. "Okay, please continue."

"I... I..." Ritsu stammered, holding back this need he had to apologize. "Yes. I feel more comfortable this way... I... I... I can be more reserved, more demure. I can be more of myself."

Ayame's bright smile nearly made Ritsu melt. "Really? This kimono does so suit you... but, oh!" The snake put his hands to his own cheeks in excitement. "I have this wonderful outfit that would look amazing on you! It's not women's but..." Ayame clapped his hands together in excitement. "It's a suit I designed myself! It's based on an old British frock coat I saw once... oh, you must come to my shop and try it on!!"

Ritsu blushed crimson, not really knowing what to say. He had seen many of Ayame's designs and had loved them all, but never had the courage to go to the boutique himself. "I... I couldn't... I... I..."

"Nonsense!" Ayame waved his hand in the air. "You must. I insist. You can't say no."

"I..." Ritsu stared at him with wide eyes, blushing a deeper crimson. "I... I... I.......... okay." Ritsu mangaged to squeek out, swallowing hard.

Ayame beamed, clapping his hands together again and again. "Fabulous! I know it's not women's clothing, but I do think it would really suit you... and I have plenty of other stuff to boot." Ayame winked here. The snake reached over and ran his fingers into Ritsu's long tawny hair, pulling some of it back from his face. "And maybe with a dramatic pony tail... or... I could do a..." His voice faded out as he considered the myriad of fashionable possibilities in his head.

Ritsu initally froze at the touch from Ayame, like a fawn in headlights, having no clue how to react, but as the other man kept his hand firmly planted at the back of the monkey's head, holding his hair back - eventually Ritsu relaxed into, and even relished in, the warmth of his hand. Closing his eyes he leaned into the touch slightly and smiled.

Ayame almost immediately noticed this and stopped babbling to himself, staring at the peaceful expression on Ritsu's face as he leaned ever-so-slightly into the snake's hand.

It took a moment for Ritsu to notice that Ayame was watching him and no longer talking, but once he did he leapt away from the other's hand and blushed brightly, looking down into his lap. "I.. I... I'm so sorry! Forgive me! I didn't mean to, I just-"

"Stop." Ayame cut in again, shaking his head from side to side with a smile. "I really need to get you to stop that." Ritsu looked up and him and nodded once, a rather grave and regretful expression on his face. "And don't look like that, there is nothing wrong with enjoying the touch of another." At this Ritsu blushed even more, the flush travelling down his neck and over his ears. Ayame mused for a moment at how becoming such a blush was on the younger man.

Unprepared for a shift in his own thoughts, Ayame's musings suddenly went tumbling downwards, his mind rapidly painting images of Ritsu flushing with moans of passion under him. A slim, soft body writhing and panting under his, clothes thrown recklessly across the room, skin pressing to damp skin.

As quickly and suddenly as the image had appeared in the snake's mind, it was gone, and it left Ritsu no longer alone in his blushing. Ayame looked forward, closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath, composing himself.

"A... Ayame-san?" Ritsu's voice ventured softly. He was obviously confused by the rapid change in expression on the older Sohma. "Are you alright?"

Taking one more deep breath, Ayame faced Ritsu and smiled. "Yes, I'm fine." Ritsu gave him a look of disbelief but didn't move to question the other man further. "I really should go back in and make sure Hatori hasn't killed Shigure... last I heard Shigure was going on about his latest romance novel." Ayame winked and Ritsu blushed again.

"Of course... I'm sure you're missed." Ritsu looked down into his lap, suddenly very interested in his hands demurely folded there.

Standing, Ayame patted Ritsu's shoulder and the monkey looked up at him. "Mondays are my 'work' days. The shop is closed and I usually just finish up all the work that has to be done for the rest of the week. I don't know if you could make it all the way into town on such short notice, but..." The snake smiled warmly. "I'd love it if you'd come and try on that suit I have."

Ritsu's eyes went wide as he simply stared up at Ayame. He knew what he wanted to respond with, it just seemed his body was incapable of moving.

"Ritsu?" Ayame's expression became slightly concerned.

"Ah! I didn't say of course?" Ritsu blushed brightly. "I mean. Of course, if you'd like."

"No, no. Not just if I'd like. You need to want to come as well..." Ayame smirked, knowing the monkey didn't mean it that way, but unable to resist teasing him.

Ritsu brought his hands up to his mouth, covering it in embarrassment. "Oh! Of course I do! I'm sorry!! I didn't mean-"

"Ah!" Ayame interrupted. "No apologizing." Ritsu nodded. "Good. So I will see you on Monday?"

"Yes." Was all he managed as an answer.

Ayame smiled brightly down at the other Sohma. "Until then..." And with a wave the snake was gone into the room.

Blinking, Ritsu looked forward into the garden and noticed that Yuki and Kyo had long since disappeared into the night. Smiling softly to himself, he thought about Ayame's invitation, and all the possibilities that lay ahead.

* * *


End file.
